Mustn't Mumble

First day of the bank holiday weekend starts with a lie in, with sex obviously, which is a good way to start. It's not a huge lie in though because we are heading up to Monsal Dale for something called a Mumble. Which is a walk (or a run) over 10 miles (or 15) between three pubs (or five). We walk and it's very good, fantastic scenery and even the weather holds, most of the time.

I go vowing not to partake of alcohol but in the end I'm drawn to support Copper Dragon at the Red Lion at Litton and Abbeydale at Three Stags Head at Wardlow Mires. The Three Stags Head belongs to a bygone age with it's spartan interior, the owners dogs, lurchers I believe, draped everywhere, a roaring fire in May (in both pubs actually) and total lack of conversation from the surly landlord.



We've been before but I think we were beaten back by a welcome that did not extend to food or children. Worth a visit just don't dare ask for lager, there's a sign warning you not to.



A chap comes in for a 'half of beer' and points at an 8% ale. That'll do he says. The landlord does at least warn him that it's 8% but undaunted he has it anyway, I'm sure not realising that it could prove fatal in the wrong hands.

The rest of the walk goes well. Doggo has a good time too and a good roll too, he smells and looks foul. We head home, dump Doggo and head off into town. We head down the Salutation for a couple of pints for a change and then up to the Mogul for a curry. L had turned down a posh lunch, saying she wanted a slag of a meal instead.

I have my trademark Jalfrezi which is good but not spectacular. My Puri starter is a little too fried. The meal is good but not quite up to the standards of the last one we had there. We have a bottle of Pinotage with it. Which goes down well.

As is tradition we finish at Scruffys for a Leffe, although L is on the cokes by now. She's still having a bad beer week after Ilkeston last weekend.

A girl is sat opposite us, sipping a bottle of lager and on her mobile. Eventually a lad appears, presumably summoned on said mobile. They exchange greetings and he gets himself a bottle too. He needn't have bothered. Before he had chance to really sample his drink, they depart, leaving two practically untouched bottles. It seems a chat, and a drink isn't the reason his presence was required. Can't fault the guy, if a girl's that keen to get her hands on you, then you're not going to hang around. I would have done the same, but please take your drinks with you.